Feeding mechanism for corn-huskers.



J. H. PIERCE.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CORN HUSKERS.

APPLICATION man MAR. 31. 1913.

1 ,1 60,088; Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l- J. H.'PIERCE.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CORN HUSKERS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR, 31. ms.

1,1 60,088. Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2- J. H. PIERCE.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CORN HUSKERS.

APPUCATION FILED MAR, 31.1913.

Patented Nov. 9, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- JZZ/G/ZZEV @5179] roe.

JosErrrH. PIERCE, or CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS.

FEEDING Mechanism roa CORN-HUSKERS.

Original application filed september 18, 1905, Serial No. 278,969.

7 Serial ITO. 757,813.

To all whom it may concern V Be it known that I, JosnrH IIPI'ERQE, a citizen of the United State's, residin'gat Chicago, in the county ofCookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Corn-Huskers, of which the following is' a specification.

My invention relates to corn huskers in general, but is especially directed to machines of that character which are used to operate upon'ears of green corn.

My novel and improved form of machine feeds ears of corn successively to a conveye'r in which they are clamped in place and operated upon as follows:'Each ear after being fed to the conveyor is thrust longitudinally against a stationary knife to split the protruding piece of stock up to the butt of the ear, this operation positioning the car which is subsequently cut off at its base by a circular saw revolving adjacent to the conveyer thus removing the split pieces of stock and cutting through the husks. Another knife cation Ser.

which form the subject matter is provided foreach ear which severs the top or silk thereof, the knife being caused to cut by the operation of its rotating support engaging a fixed cam. The ear is then forced longitudinally between" a plurality of converging spring knives so that its husks are shredded or slit their full length, and the ear is freed from the knives and falls from the machine.

In order to remove any portion of the husks which have a tendency to cling to the knives or to become bunched about them, I provide a cleaner consistingof two rapidly revolving arms which rotate close to the knives and knock any therefrom.

The particular features of the machine of the present which is a division of my appli- No. 278,969, filed September 18, which the application,

1905, are the feeding means by ears of corn are automatically supplied to the machine to be operated upon by the husking-and butt cuttlng mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings forming a.

part of the specification and upon which is based the following detailed description, is shown byway of illustration, one form of my improved feeding means, it beingunderstood-thatvariousmodifications in form and Specification of Letters Patent.

remnants of husks Patented Nov. 9, 1915. Divided and this application filed March standing of the details of construction to said parent application, the patent upon which, it is intended, shall issue concurrently herewith.

The machine frame consists of upright members and horizontal connecting members with suitable braces. Across the top of the frame isv mounted a shaft 11 rotating in bearings 12, the right hand end of the shaft as shown in Fig. 1 being supplied with a sprocket wheel 13 connected bya sprocket chain to a similar wheel fastened to the shaft 14 lying to the rear of the shaft 11 and suitably journaled in the frame. Also keyed to the shaft 14- is a driving pulley 15 which operates the entire mechanism of the machine. Onthis same end of the shaft 11 is a smaller sprocket wheel 16 connected by the chain 17 with a comparatively large sprocket wheel 18 keyed to the outer end of a lower shaft 19 on which is mounted a rotary conveyer 20. 7

Upon the left handlend of the'shaftll I provide a pulley 21 arranged to drive the pulley 22 by means of a belt 23. The pulley 22 is fixed upon one end of the jack shaft 24: while upon the opposite end thereof is mounted a circular saw 25 revolving in proximity to the rotary conveyer'20. Connecting the shaft 24 with the lower shaft 26 is a cross belt 27 passing over pulleys 28 and 29 on the shafts 24 and 26 respectively, the latter being supplied at its inner end with cleaner arms to discharge husks which may accumulate about the husking knives. In order to render the rotation of the cleaner arms more uniform I mount upon the outer end of the balancewheel 31. It will thus be observed that the motion of the drive pulley 15 is transmitted by means of the various wheels, pulleys, chains, and belts so that the conveyer, saw and the cleaner are rotated.

' ripherally about the conveyer and cage, is mounted pair connected by a series. of spaced longi- The conveyer,

tudinally extending wires 34 forming atrough-like channel for the ears which are pushed forward in said channels by members 35 acted upon by 37 traveling on cam ralls 38,. 39, toward the left hand end of each channel where the 1 annulus32 is equipped with slitting knives forthe removal ,of the husk,'the movement of the ears in the channels and the action of the, husking devices being described'in detail in my said application. i

3 exit ofthefchute 40 is The feeding porting arms and arm 43 frame and fastened to the box or chute to sustain the same in place. Controlling the discharge plate 44, which is mounted on theframe 45, pivoted to one side of the chute at the point 46 and on the opposite side of the chute at a point in alinement with point 46', the framehaving 41 and '42 extending upwardly,

an extended arm 47, asshown most clearly in Fig. 3. This plate is adapted to lift and allow the discharge of an ear of corn by means of mechanism described hereinafter. Above the discharge plate 44, I provide a re tarding member or plate 48 which extends transversely across the. chute working in slots inthe sides thereof and which controls the passage of the ears in the chute. Re-

"fitarding member 48 comprises a frame consisting of two transverse portions 49 and-5O connected at one end by th'e'strip 51, and at the other end a link 52 rigidly connects the end of bar to an upturned lug 53 integral I with strip 49,'the whole-frame being-sup;

ported on two arms 54 of which only one is shown in Fig. 3, the same being pivoted at P011113; 55 on one side of the'chute 40.. ln-

tegral wither attached to strip 50, is catch 56.

' a'slide plate 57 reciprocating in guides 58' I on the upper surface of the box .or

V chute, the slide'havi'ng pivoted thereto at its lower. end the'feed' plate 58by means of hinges 59, a spring 60 fastened to slide 57, operating on feed plate 58 to' hold the same depressed. Attached to the upper end of the slide is -member 61,'whichhas pivoted thereto at its lowerendrod 62 connectingit withthe arm "47 which actuates the discharge plate 44.

Connecting arm 47 and'the part 52 of the retarding frame is. colled" spring 63, which tends to retalnthe retarding plate in posithe chute.

slide. Spring 69 is "connected at one springs 36' and rollsv V mechanism for, the machine comprises an inclined chute or box 40,.sup-

depending from the machine oscillating to a tent, the cam portion The feeding mechanism also comprises tion to prevent the passage of the ears in To the frame piece 64 is pivoted lever 65 atthe point 66, one end of said lever being attached tothe' slide 57 by link 67, pivoted to the end of lever .65 and to the strip 68 fastened to the upper end of tha to a fixed portion ofthe lower part-of the frame, rod '72 connecting the upper end of said spring to the end 7 3, of lever 65. The lower end of operating lever 74 (Fig. 3) is pivoted to the frame of the machine and said leveris pivoted to one end' of the connecting link 7 6 at the point 77', the other end of said piece 76 being plvoted at 78 to means of spring 69 of the U-shaped members 33. 1 As the conveyer operates these upper ends of members 7 33 pa ss under the free'end of lever 74 canslng the same tomove upwardly. and when 80 the lever 65 near its-pivot 66.- The upper T free end of lever 74 which is pulled inwardly actingthrough. the end 73 of lever 65 rides overthe upper ends the ends have passed from beneath'theslever the same move downwardly dueto the action of spring 69. It

will be obvious then that I asthe conveyer rotates lever 74 is constantly 3 limited extent, and it is by means of this'oscillation that the feeding mechanism ofthe device is operated. To the upper end of member 61 is'pivoted' at the point 7 9 a latch lever 80, said lever being pulled-downwardly by the spring 81 which iolnslt to the connecting rod 62. Latch lever 80 is provided at its end with a hook shaped portion 82, adapted'to engage catch 56 on the retarding frame 48. 'Attaehed to the frame member 43 is a'pin 83 over which rides the inclined cam portion 84 of the latch lever 80. As the slide 57 moves downwardly or advances, lever SO rides over pin 83, at

length engaging catch 56', and on the bitCkf I ward or reverse movement of slide 57 latch '82 remains engaged with catch 56' therebyv 1 raising the retarding allowing the passage. of an ear of corn;

plate or frame .48,

When the slide has moved back to some ex- 84' rides uponzpin- 83 whereupon the hook 82- isireleased from catch 56' so that the retarding member or influence of spring 63.

The operation lows: The drivingrofpulley15, by means of an externalsource of power rotates shaft 14, and by means of the sprocket wheels together-with theconnecting chain, shaft 11 receives itsrotarymotion. Shaft 19 which 7 bears the conveyer receives its motion from shaft 11, by means of thesprocket wheels 16 1] plate assumes its originalposition under the w of this machine is as fol-Q and 18 and the connecting chain 17-; Shaft 1 11 transmitspower to shaft 24 by means of pulleys 21and 22 and belt 23, these con- .Il'GGtlOIlS. furnishing rapid 'motion for the circular saw 25, and in order-'to rotate shaft its cleaning arms 30, the crossed passed over the pulleys 28 and 29,

producing a uniform mothe ears of corn with their stock ends all members 33. lever 74 is communicated by means of conone side, the feeding mechanism, is opthis manner: The rotation of at erated 1n the conveyer causes the oscillation of lever 74 whose outer end rides over and .is released from the upper ends of U-shaped This oscillating motion of necting piece 76 to lever 55, the latter causing the reciprocation of slide 57. The advance of downward movement of slide 57 lifts discharge plate 44 by means of connecting parts 61, 62, 47 and 45. As the slide still further advances, the pivoted spring pressed feed plate 58 strikes the car, if it has not'been already discharged into its receptacle by the lifting of plate 44, and forces the same into said receptacle, the movement of'the parts bein'g So timed that the receptacle will be opposite the discharge end of the feeding mechanism atthe instant the ear is released and pushed there from. During this forward or advance movement of the slide, the latch lever 80 engages catch 56, and on the backward or reverse movement of the slide, the discharge plate is lowered so as to close the exit of the chute, the retarding plate or frame 48 is lifted by means of the movement of the latch and catch so as to allow an'ear to roll down the chute against the discharge plate just been disto replace the one which has As the slide charged into its receptacle.

' still continues on its backward movement,

latch lever 80 riding over its cooperating pin 83 and held thereagainst by spring 81, at length reaches the position where the cam surface 84 comes in contact with pin 83, thereby lifting the latch lever so that its hook end 82 is freed from catch 56, where-- upon the retarding plate or frame 48 quickly returns to its normal position under the influence of spring 63. On the next forward movement of the slide the ear which has just been described as rolling down the chute to the discharge plate, would be forced into the next receptacle.

At the time the ear is placed in its receptacle, the member is at its-extreme limit I of movement to the right as shown in Fig.

1. As soon as the ear is deposited in the receptacle or trough roller 37 passes ofi of the end of cam rail 38, and due to the release of the springs 36, the members 35 quickly slide to the left, the silk end of the cornpassing into the funnel shaped member 35 and protruding through the annulus 32. The sliding movement of member 35 under the action of springs 36 causes the stock end of the ear to project from the end whatI deem preferred embodiments of the invention, I am aware that modifications can be madethereln without departing from the substance of myinvention and I do not,

therefore, limit the invention to the details shown and described except in so far as such details are made the subject matter of specific claims.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described, a feeding mechanism comprising the combination of a chute, a slide, and means for feeding ears of corn one at a time along'said chute comprising a yieldingly mountedfeed plate to push an ear of corn from said chute as said slide moves forward and to ride over the next ear as the slide returns, said feedplate being hinged to said slide at its opposite edge being free, substantially as described.

2. In a machine of the character described, a feeding mechanism comprising the combination of a chute, a slide, and means for feeding'ears of corn one at a time along said chute comprising a spring pressed feed-plate one edge,

3. In a machine of the character described,

a feeding'mechanism comprising the combination of a chute, a discharge plate to open and close the exit of said chute, and a slide adapted to reciprocate longitudinally of said chute to push the ears of corn from said chute when the discharge plate opens the exit thereof, the elements of the feeding mechanism arranged to operate in alternation and in timed sequence to effect an intermittent feed, substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described, a feeding mechanism comprising-the combination of a'chute, a discharge plate to open and close the'exit of said chute, a slide and a feeding plate hinged to said slide to push the ears of corn from said chute when the discharge plate opens the exit thereof, the elements of the feeding mechanism arranged to operate in alternation and in timed sequence to effect an intermittent feed, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, a feeding mechanism comprising the combinationof a stationary chute, a retarding member to control the passage of the ears of corn in the chute, and a slide adapted to requence to effect iiation'of a chute,

oip rocate longitudinally of said chute to push the ears of corn from said chute, the elements of the feeding mechanism arranged to operate in' alternation and in timed sean' intermittent feed, substantially as described.

; 6. In a machine'of' the character described, a feeding mechanism comprisingthe combination ofa chute, a retarding. member to control the passage of the ears of corn in said chute, a slide, and a feeding plate hinged to said slide to push the. ears of corn the elements of the feeding from said; chute, mechanism arranged to operate in alternation and in timed sequence to effect an intermittent feed, substantially as described. I

7. In a machine ofthe character described,

, a feeding mechanism comprising the combination of a chute, a discharge plate opening ing member controlling the passage of the ears of corn in said chute, and a slide to push the ears of corn from said chute, the elements of the feeding mechanism arranged 25 to operate in alternation and in timed sequence to effect an intermittent feed, substantially described.

8. In a mach'ne of the character described,

a, feeding mechanism comprising the combination. of a chute, a discharge plate to open and'close the exit of said chute, a retarding member to control the passage of the ears of corn in said chute, a slide-and a feed 'plate hinged to said slide .to push the ears of corn from said chute, theelements of the feeding mechanism alternation-and in timedsequence to eflect an intermittent feed, substantially as de-@ Copiesof paten t may be obtained for and closing theexit of said chute, a retardarranged to operate in the combi- I support after said slide and said catch on the for.-

backward movement five cents each, by addressingbthe Washington, D. Q.

10. 111. a machine of the character described, a feeding 'mechanism, comprising the combination of a chute, a pivoted spring pressed retarding plate provided Withfa catch, said plate controlling the passagev of the ears ofcorn in said chute-,a slide, a

latch movable With, said slide and adapted to engage said catchon'the forward move ment of said. slide and lift said retarding plate on the backward movement of said slide, and means .to disengage said'latch I froiii-said catch, substantially as described:

11. In a machine of the character described, a feeding, mechanism compris ng the combination of an inclined chute, a pivoted discharge plate to open-and close the exit, of

said chute, -a retarding member. to control the passage of the ears of corn in said chute, and means to push theears of corn from said chute, the elenientslof thefeeding mechaand in timed sequence tent feed,- substantially as described;

- 12.In 1a machine of the character described, the combinationof atraveling conveyer provided With a plurality of receptacles, each adaptedto' receive an ear 0 corn, a feedingmechanism to supply ears to said receptacles, a movablesupport for one nism arranged to operate "in alternation V to effect an intermitf end of the ear in each receptacle, means-to move said supports to one travel, and .means to move each support after. an ear is in its receptacle to support the end thereof, substantially as described.

end of their 13. In a machine of the character described, the" combination of a traveling conveyer provided with tacles, each adapted corn, a feeding mechanism to supply ears to said receptacles,.a movable support for one end of the ear in eachr receptacle, cam

means to move said-supports to one end of their travel, and spring means to move each an' ear is in its receptacle to a plurality of receptoreceive an ear of support the end thereof, substantially as described. i g g I PIERCEJ 'Witnesses: i TrD- BUTL v g'MARioiv Gr, ELWnrL.

Commissioner oi Patents, 1 

